Skill Levels

We are first and foremost a SOCIAL company. As we grow though we are starting to offer more and more variations and competitiveness levels for our leagues. For Softball we have 2 different options:

Social Coed – for the players looking to get out and be active. Leagues are 50% Games 50% Social. It’s a party!

Athletic Coed – for our more serious players who love the thrill of victory and loath the taste of defeat! Games are a little more intense and teams more organized. These leagues are designed for players that have significant experience with the sport.

Team Sizes

Softball teams average 15 players per team. There may be gender requirements for certain leagues. Please check your rules sections.

Roster Management

We allow individuals, small groups and teams to all join our leagues. DC Fray reserves the right to add additional players to ANY team that is under the official roster size for the league. During registration captains can pick up free agents or mark their group as ready to merge via commish. After registration closes DC Fray goes through and finalizes rosters by placing free agents, merging groups and deleting unpaid players. Being a promoted team does not mean you may not receive additional players. Teams who want to “lock” their roster may prepay for a team at the official roster size. Example, softball is 15 players officially but your team only wants 12 players. You can purchase a team spot for a roster of 15 and only fill your desired number but those additional spots are technically used and are not refundable.

Our roster sizes tend to allow for more players as our goal is to avoid forfeits at all costs. 1. They are LAME. and 2. It’s not fair to the other teams in the league who expect to play each week if a smaller team cannot field a team week to week. Free agent teams (merged small groups or all FAs made into teams) tend to have larger rosters as the players typically do not know one another and everyone’s schedule varies week to week.

First and foremost all DC Fray leagues are 50% Social and 50% Sport. We do have officials; however, we expect individuals to respect the league’s culture of fair and fun play. Foul language and rough play will not be tolerated and individuals who cannot adhere to our standards of fair play and sportsmanship may be asked to leave the league. DC Fray wants everyone to have a fun and be social while enjoying a great sport. DC Fray will do whatever they can to make sure all players are having fun.

DC Fray is proud to relieve captains of the burden of paying for full teams. While captains and players are able to prepay for additional players and or full teams, it is not a requirement for participation in our leagues. We welcome individual player payments. We are also proud to welcome those who do not have a full team (small groups and free agents) to participate in our league.Our primary mission is to make it easier for people to have fun and get involved with social sports and these policies help accomplish that goal. Because of these policies, all registrations are on a first come first serve basis and any roster that does not reach our standard size (based on each sport) is eligible to receive free agents and or small group by the league. Rosters made up of primarily free agents and or a collection of small groups may field more players than the standard roster size. This policy is in place to help ensure free agent teams are able to consistently field teams each week.

1. Ten (10) players (at least 3 females) in the field at all time.

A. THERE ARE NO POSITION REQUIREMENTS of any players, i.e. there need not be 2 females in outfield and 2 in the infield) DC Fray rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of seven (7) players (at least 2 females).

2. If only two (2) females are present the team must take an out when it comes to the tenth batter.

3. The Minimum number of players in the field/your starting line up is 7 (5 men/2 women).

4. If playing with eight (8) players, no more than six (6) men are allowed on the field at on time.

5. If playing with nine (9) or more players, no more than seven (7) men are allowed on the field at one time.

6. Batting order ratio MUST always be followed no matter how many men are playing. (see Gameplay #2)

General Rules

A “strike mat” will be used to determine sure strikes, if the softball touches any part of the mat OR home plate on a legal pitch (6’-12’ arc), it will be considered a strike.

All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count.

1. If a male is walked on three (3) straight balls with two (2) outs on the board, and a female follows him in the batting order, the female has the choice to take a walk or bat. The umpire will enforce this rule upon request; however, they will not be responsible for notifying the batter in each walk situation. The umpire must be made aware that a female is on deck before the 2nd pitch is thrown.

2. A batter with two (2) strikes is allowed one (1) courtesy foul ball. On the 2nd foul after the batter has two (2) strikes the batter will be called out.

3. All games are seven (7) innings or one (1) hour; the last inning will start 10 – 15 minutes to the hour. The umpire will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning.

A. Some divisions may have shorter or longer game schedules depending on the season.

4. Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short on an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark. Please respect your umpire call in this matter. He/she must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours and due to facility permit restrictions.

5. Teams may bat more than ten (10) players. Prior to regular season games, teams must request lineups sheet in order to raise lineup objects during the game. For tournaments, the umpire will require a line sheet.

6. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. Players do not have to play in the field in order to bat.

7. Games start on time! Teams must be prepared to play.
Forfeit rule: 10 minutes after game time. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (7 total – 2 females) at ten past the designated start time, the game will be deemed a forfeit.

Equipment

1. DC Fray will provide all bases and balls for each game. Gloves are not guaranteed to be supplied and players must bring their own. It is also recommended that teams bring their own bats though at least one approved bat will be provided. (In Leagues that are marked as Wooden Bat Only the League will provide such bat!

2. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

3. Any equipment in question should be brought to the attention of the umpire. The umpire will make all final decisions with regard to equipment discrepancies.During the playoffs, teams may not use subs and may only use players on their roster.Playoff Eligibility: teams that notch 2 or more forfeits during the regular season will not be eligible for the playoffs

Game Play

1. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

A. The ball is thrown over the fence / road.

B. The ball is thrown beyond the fence / road / safe area of play.

C. The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the End of the backstop (if there is no fence).

D. This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught fly foul balls.

E. If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk.

F. On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more. Note: in cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.

2. Batting order must consist of a 2-1 ratio. (For every 2 male batters in a row a female batter must be next, ie. every third batter must be a female.

A. Females can bat multiple times in the lineup to achieve this ratio.

If females are batting more than once in a lineup their rotation must stay in order. All females must evenly rotate through the female batting positions.

B. In order to ensure all players are able to bat females may “double up” or rotate through the required female slots as described above.

3. Outfield Encroachment Line: Outfielders may not play closer that 150 feet from home plate. This line is to encourage fair play and will be set up by your umpire and marked by cones down the foul lines and/or across the field.

5. Inning run limit rule: There will be a five (5) run limit per inning for innings 1-4.(Exception: unlimited runs may be scored if one of the innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game.) Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5, 6, and 7 always.

6. No lead offs or stealing, runners can leave the base once the ball is hit by the batter.If a runner leaves early, the ball is dead and the runner is declared out. If this is the 3rd out of the inning the batter will be first up in the next inning

7. On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an “easy catch”) with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the batter is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk.

8. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the ump.

A. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed. Any intentional (in the eyes of the monitor) interference with the defensive player, the runner and the batter will be called out.

B. For plays between 3rd and home, there is no contact allowed. When a runner passes the “commit line” (the halfway point between third and home which will be at the discretion of the ump), they can be called out at home if the defense gets the ball to the ”safety home plate” first. If the runner retreats to 3rd, and the defense gets the ball to 3rd before the runner, then they are also out on the force.

i. The catcher or any defensive player playing as catcher must play the ball on the Defensive home plate which is located about 5 feet in front of the normal plate. When the catch is made and the player is in this position the umpire will consider this moment as contact with the player or base.

ii. Any runners coming home must cross the Offensive home plate (where you hit from) before this mark is reached by the defensive player. If contact is made the player will be declared safe automatically.

iii. Additionally, any runner that touches the Defensive home plate rather than the Offensive one will automatically be called out.

C. All plays between home plate and first base are force plays. There is no contact allowed on these plays. If contact is made with the runner, the runner will be ruled safe. If a runner “rounds” first and heads for second the runner can be tagged out.

D. The strike mat is an extension of home plate and must be used by the runner for any slides / home plate crossings for safety purposes.

9. All batting count starts at 1-1 (One ball, one strike).

10. No bunting.

A Pitch has to have a slow pitch arch at least 6 ft. and no higher than 12ft off the ground at its highest point to be considered a legal pitch.

Miscellaneous Rules

1. If a rainout occurs while a game is in progress, three (3) innings must be completed for the game to count. The umpire clock is the game clock and will inform both teams when the game has started.

2. Games ending before the three (3) innings have concluded will be rescheduled and played as a new game.

3. There is no minimum number

4. of innings for a complete game if the time limit has been satisfied.

5. If two teams are tied at the end of the season below are the tie breakers:

Softball

Registration dues vary by location and night. DC Softball strives to keep dues low while still providing a quality experience for our members. Most leagues range in cost from $45 – $69. This fee covers insurance, court costs , equipment, player t-shirts, parties, prizes, recruiting, and the tons of other DC Fray events that we will be hosting throughout the year. You definitely get your money’s worth!

Each league gets at least 6 organized nights of games, playoffs (if applicable), league shirts, and league-wide parties where you’ll get to meet literally hundreds and hundreds of other players. You’ll also have access to all our other non-softball related events, shindigs and parties throughout the year. Please note, DC Fray does not issue refunds.

We are first and foremost a SOCIAL company. We are starting to offer different competitive levels for softball. Each level from social,gender specific and athletic. Please read your season info page to see if the league is at a different level.

You simply show up at the fields for your scheduled games, you and your teammates play your opponents for about 60 minutes and then everyone heads on over to the nearby sponsor bar for food, drinks, and partying! It’s a ridiculously easy formula that’s seriously fun! Game times vary by location but weekday leagues are run in the evening anywhere from 6pm to 10pm. Weekend leagues vary from morning to evening hours.

General

DC Fray operates a lot like the sports leagues of your youth. Our goal is to connect people and to play more often! Our leagues are 6-8 weeks long with a final championship tournament and end of season party, though we also host one time events as well. From softball, to league parties, to scavenger hunts, DC Fray. organizes the events so all you have to do is show up and have fun!

DC Fray understands that for most people joining a sports team is about hanging out with your friends, having a good time and meeting some new people. We strive to keep the games fair and stress free so you can do just that… socialize and have a good time!

You simply show up at the courts/fields/bar for your scheduled games, you and your teammates play your opponents for about 30-60 minutes and then everyone heads on over to the nearby sponsor bar for food, drinks, and partying! It’s a ridiculously easy formula that’s seriously fun!

Times:Depending on the location and day, weekday games are played between 6:00 and 11:30 pm. Weekend games can be anytime during the day or evening. Please check your specific league page for more details.

All players must be at least 21. Why? Because playing your game is only a small part of it. A large part of the fun happens at the bars after the games are done! Most players are between 23 and 31 years old and 60% are female.

Since the beginning, DC Fray has always been more about meeting people, playing a fun game and socializing afterward at the bar. A few players are naturally more competitive than others but don’t worry, 95% of DC Fray is NOT competitive.

As we have grown we have begun to offer divisions for different skill levels for select sports BUT every league we offer is inherently SOCIAL, in that we are all out there to have a good time and meet new people!

Registration dues vary by location,night and sport. DC Fray strives to keep dues low while still providing a quality experience for our members. Most leagues range in cost from $25 – $70. This fee covers insurance, field permits, equipment, player t-shirts, parties, prizes, recruiting, staffing at every league and the tons of other DC Fray events that we will be hosting throughout the year. You definitely get your money’s worth!

Each league typically gets at least 6 organized nights of games and tomfoolery, andleague-wide parties where you’ll get to meet literally hundreds and hundreds of other players. You’ll also have access to all our other league related events, shindigs and parties throughout the year.

Your ringleader simply forms a new group during the registration process. Once they’re registered, everyone then registers under that group / team. Easy Peasy! Doesn’t matter how small your group is, we’ll keep your buddies together when we merge and finalize teams after registration is closed. Start telling your buddies to sign up now!

*DC Fray reserves the right to put independent players on your group / team. Please check out our Roster Table to see average team size for leagues*

Absolutely! A large majority of DC Fray players sign up as independents or in smaller groups. Once registration for a division is closed, we merge all free agents and small groups into bigger teams, as space is available. Right off the bat, you’ll get to meet new people from your team alone, not to mention all the other players from the other teams as the season plays out! DC Frayis the EASIEST way to meet people and make new friends!

Lots of people join DC Fray for different reasons and sometimes you may find yourself on a team that you just don’t mesh with. No worries, shoot your league commissioner an email and we will find you a new home!

We make the final call a few hours before the games the day of, but for the most part, we usually play through a light drizzle. Any lightening in the area and games are cancelled. At permitted locations that call to cancel is made by the operating DPR. We usually build one or more weeks of make up days in case of weather. If a league has multiple cancellations game MAY NOT be able to be made up. Call the Weather Hotline to check the status of your games: 202-290-1969 option 1.

DC Fray has a no refund policy. Often our rosters have limited space and last minute cancellations hinder our ability to properly plan and organize the season and our leagues as well as the costs that have already been incurred by the league.

If you are unable to participate after completing the registration process we are able to transfer your registration to a future season!

To register select your desired day and location. Make sure to read through the season info before signing up (dates,location,etc). Click through the links and you will be guided through the process. If you have any questions email us at [email protected]

If you would like to prepay for other players or for an entire team you have the option to do so when registering! Once you are on commish and at the option to “Choose Your Destiny” there will be an option to Prepay for Others. Simply enter the number of additional people you are paying for, create a prepaid code and your total cost should update next to the box. Provide your created prepaid code to your players to use when they go to register for the season to mark their registration as paid.

Some of our divisions now offer an option to prepay for a full team! When you are creating a team/group you can select to “Prepay for a Team” just under the prepay for others option. The total for payment should be reflected on the right-hand side of the screen. Complete the rest of the registration prompts and proceed to the payment screen. When you pay for a full team you are paying for a team spot in the league and a specific number of roster spots. Your teammates still need to register for the season and apply your prepaid code! If you would like additional players you can add additional roster spots at time of checkout or after the purchase.

If you have a corporate company team or want to bring a very large group of rotating players, please email [email protected] to talk about corporate programs!

Yes, we do offer the option to pay as a team. Since our registration is individually based the team rate is based on our Roster Table for an official roster size X the registration cost. For steps on how to pay for a team during the registration process please check the FAQ above.

Every player must be a registered member on the roster. We do not allow subs/walk-ups/whomever to play with us without being a registered DC Fray player. Certain leagues CAN use subs as long as that person is registered in the same division.

*Corporate,Veteran or other groups please email [email protected] to find out about possible groups rates.*

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Potential Removal from the league, at the discretion of league commissioners.

Any team that forfeits more than once also forfeits any guarantee or right to a certain number of guaranteed games.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office, at 202-290-1969, so as to help us notify your opponent.

Teams have until ten minutes past the designated start time to field a full squad (minimum numbers of players required to play according to the rules). Refer to rules regarding gender policies(batting ratios, female designated football plays, etc). Anything less then the minimum must be approved by the staff and opposing team.

First… are you sure you don’t know them or that they aren’t a friend of a friend? Once you’ve checked there it likely means free agents or another small group has been merged onto your team. When groups do not reach full team size we merge groups and free agents together to fill out rosters.

To learn more about our how the roster management and group / free agent mergers work check out our full roster management page here!

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Ready to play some Spring Softball? Yep. So are we. Get ready for a season of fun with DC Fray Softball. This Spring join us every Sunday on the Mall for 6 weeks of regular season games, post-game Happy Hours, and an end-of-season tournament for playoff.

As one of our most popular leagues, we’ve got limited space. Our registration is first come first serve. Rally your team or register as an individual before it’s too late.

Our Mission:

At DC Fray we’re on a mission to make fun possible. To us that means bringing people together. All of our rules & policies are built to reflect this mission.

Overall our rule of thumb is social first. Did someone say happy hour? There’s no skill requirement - new to the sport? Great! Former MLB Player? Perfect! Everyone is welcome.

Flag Football 411:

All good games have some rules and guidelines. Here’s some to keep you playing all season long:

This is a Coed division. There are three (3) females required on the field at all times, and a batting order of 2:1(2 males max in a row before a female must hit)

Teams are required to have at least 12 players on their rosters.

We welcome free agents and small groups and will do our best to match players to teams.

Games begin April 2nd and run weekly from 10am-3pm.

Dates subject to change based on permits and availability and other league logistics. Number of teams to make the final tournament based on number of teams & league logistics.

After each game we hit the sponsor bar for a Sunday Funday like nothing else. Get ready for drink specials, flip cup,and an end of season party (yep, that includes free beer). We'll bring the classic DC Fray touch with prize giveaways, beer giveaways, sweet t-shirts, new friends and more.

*NOTE: Games are played on Sundays on the National Mall. Due to the nature of the Mall we will try to secure the best field available but fields are subject to change due to availability.*